Written and Performed
by Gillian Bennett and Russell Bennett
Directed
and Dramaturged by Emelia Symington Fedy
Can love redeem us – personally and globally?
CRUDE LOVE is an unlikely love story between Phyllis McCormack, a woman dump truck driver from Newfoundland, and Abbie Waxman, a lone, ex-Greenpeace eco-warrior set in the harsh Alberta Tar Sands. The time is set in 2012, when the US Military occupies northern Alberta, and when peak oil and peak love collide.
Big Smoke Productions has created funny, poignant and politically-tinged theatre since 2004. CRUDE LOVE is Big Smoke Productions’ first two-person play, after three successful solo shows: the award-winning The Reefer Man, which was the Pick of the Fringe in Saskatoon, Edmonton and Vancouver, voted by critics as Best Fringe Production in Victoria, and won second place in Montreal’s Chapter’s Best Text Award;Self-Storage, which was selected as Pick of the Fringe in Toronto and Vancouver and was praised by critics across the country; and Rocket Man, which was both hated and adored by audiences, garnering reviews from 0 stars (one of two shows in Edmonton to receive that bizarre distinction) to 4 1/2 stars.
While
they met at theatre school in New York City ten years ago, this is Russell
and Gillian’s first time on stage together since the altar. They
are traveling across Canada to eight Fringe Festivals: Montreal, Ottawa,
Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Victoria and back home to Vancouver.
They teamed up with Fringe Festival favourite, Emelia Symington Fedy,
known for her Patti Fedy trilogy. Fedy is both dramaturge and director
for CRUDE
LOVE.
REVIEWS and NEWS ARTICLES
The
Georgia Straight -
August
28/08 article
-
"Sparks fly in this production."
Monday
Magazine -
August
27/08 Review - 
-"Well-written,
well-researched and compelling story that also tackles some incredibly
relevant issues."
Vue
Magazine
- August
14/08 Review - -"Hilarious,
thoughtful and heartbreaking."
Global
Television -
August
14/08 Review - -"Stellar
performances. Not preachy. Tugs at your heartstrings. It's going to sell
out quickly, so get your tickets soon!"
The Globe and Mail - August 12/08 article - "About as Canadian as a story gets..."
The Gate - Toronto - July 7/08 Review -"Charming and heartbreaking....First rate."
Toronto Star - July 8/08 Review - "Real chemistry here."
eye
weekly - Toronto - July
4/08 Review - 
"Palpable chemistry"
Ottawa Xpress - June 19/08 Review - "Crude Love is not to be missed...head and shoulders above most fringe fare."
Montreal Mirror - June 19/08 Review - "Sharply written and acted...a political love story that works."
24
Hours - Ottawa - June
18/08 article - "All about the 'Love'"
Ottawa
Citizen - June
18/08 article - Crude
Love tops the list of shows to see in Ottawa Fringe Festival
Montreal Gazette - June
14/08 article - "Sounds like a great scenario for a movie."
CITY DATES THEATRES Montreal Sat June 14 - 11:15pm
Sun June 15 - 7:45pm
Mon June 16 - 6:00pm
Wed June 18 - 4:30pm
Thu June 19 - 8:15pm
Fri June 20 - 5:45pm
Sat June 21 - 9:45pmMontreal Fringe Festival
VENUE #9 - Theatre Ste. Catharine
264 Ste. Catharine E.
Ottawa Sun June 22 - 9:00pm
Mon June 23 - 6:00pm
Wed June 25 - 8:00pm
Fri June 27 - 11:00pm
Sat June 28 - 6:30pm
Sun June 29 - 3:00pmOttawa Fringe Festival
Venue 2 - Academic Hall
Ottawa University, 135 Séraphin-Marion St.
Toronto Thu July 3 - 10:30pm
Sat July 5 - 2:00pm
Sun July 6 - 8:00pm
Mon July 7 - 12:30pm
Wed July 9 - 5:00pm
Fri July 11 - 8:30pm
Sat July 12 - 2:00pm
Toronto Fringe Festival
Glen Morris Theatre
40 Glen Morris St.
Winnipeg Wed July 16 - 11:00pm
Fri July 18 - 7:00pm
Sat July 19 - 8:45pm
Sun July 20 -10:30pm
Tue July 22 - 7:00pm
Wed July 23 - 8:45pm
Thu July 24 - 10:30pm
Sat July 26 - 7:00pm
Sun July 27 - 8:45pm
Winnipeg Fringe Festival
Prairie Theatre Exchange -
Colin Jackson Studio
393 Portage Ave.
(Portage Place, 3rd Floor)
Saskatoon Fri Aug 1 - 5:35pm
Sat Aug 2 - 3:45pm
Tue Aug 5 - 8:35pm
Thu Aug 7 - 7:30pm
Fri Aug 8 - 4:30pm
Sat Aug 9 - 10:50pm
Saskatoon Fringe Festival
Off-Broadway Arts Centre
639 Main Street
Edmonton Sat Aug 16 - 12:30pm
Sun Aug 17 - 8:45pm
Mon Aug 18 - 2:45pm
Tue Aug 19 - 10pm
Thu Aug 21 - 4:30pm
Sat Aug 23 - 10:45pm
Edmonton Fringe Festival
Yardbird Suite, 11 Tommy Banks Way
COMPLETELY SOLD-OUT RUN!!
Chosen as PICK OF THE FRINGE!!
Victoria
Tue Aug 26 - 6:15pm
Wed Aug 27 - 8:00pm
Thu Aug 28 - 6:00pm
Fri Aug 29 - 11:15pm
Sat Aug 30 - 3:45pm
Sun Aug 31 - 9:30pm
Victoria Fringe Festival
VENUE 1 - Downtown Community Activity Centre
755 Pandora Avenue
Vancouver Thu Sept 4 - 9:00pm
Fri Sept 5 - 11:00pm
Sat Sept 6 - 5:00pm
Sun Sept 7 - 3:00pm
Mon Sept 8 - 7:00pm
Tue Sept 9 - 11:00pm
Thu Sept 11 - 7:00pm
Fri Sept 12 - 9:00pm
Sat Sept 13 - 9:00pm
Sun Sept 14 - 5:00pmPick of the Fringe Shows
Thu Sept 18 - 5:30pm
Fri Sept 19 - 7:30pm
Sat Sept 20 - 7:00pmBeyond the Fringe
Sat Oct 4 - 9:00pm
Sun Oct 5 - 7:00pm
Vancouver Fringe Festival
Carousel Theatre
1411 Cartwright St., Granville Island
COMPLETELY SOLD-OUT RUN!!Chosen as PICK OF THE FRINGE!!
Waterfront Theatre
Granville Island
Jericho Arts Centre
1675 Discovery St.
At the end of each performance, Gillian and Russell asked the audience to donate to Greenpeace's "Stop the Tar Sands" campaign in Edmonton.
Here are the results of the generosity of Canadian Fringe Festival patrons, an astounding total, more than double our goal!
Patron donations given to
Greenpeace - Edmonton's
Stop the Tar Sands CampaignCITY AMOUNT Montreal $116.69 Ottawa $232.27 Toronto $256.75 Winnipeg $341.58 Saskatoon $295.55 Edmonton $655.37 Victoria $445.52 Vancouver $1122.56 Pick of the Fringe performances $903.81 GOAL
TOTAL DONATIONS
$2012.00$4370.10
as of Oct 5, 2008
